Apparatus for handling skelp in a continuous butt-weld furnace



.Nov. 19, 1957 E. L. WEDEN, JR

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING sKELP 1N A CONTINUOUS BUTT-WELD FURNACE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 20, 1953 ATTO/OVE? 1N V EN TOR. fan/Avez? Z, Wwf/V Je Illv Nov. 19, 1957 E. L. wEDEN, JR

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING sxELP 1N A CONTINUOUS BUTT-NELD FURNACE med Aug. 2o. 195s Unite States Patent O APPARATUS FOR HANDLING SKELP IN A CON- TINUUS BUTT-WELD FURNACE Edward L. Weden, Jr., Struthers, Ohio, as'signor to Republic Steel Corporation, Cleveland, h10, a corporation of New Jersey Application August 20, 1953, Serial No. 375,533

Claims. (Cl. 263-3) This invention relates to a skelp or metal strip handling and heating apparatus, and, more particularly, to a skelp heating apparatus for use in the production of tubing which is formed from flat strip or skelp which, after being heated in a furnace, is butt-welded by forming rollers or other means which weld the lateral edges of the skelp together.

The production of tubing from skelp is generally carried on as a continuous process in which the skelp is drawn from a supply reel at one locality and is passed into a furnace which is elongated in order to heat the skelp sufliciently during its travel through the furnace so that it can be welded as it is drawn from the furnace. As the process is speeded up and the skelp moves through the furnace at increasing speeds, it becomes necessary to provide means for subjecting greater lengths of skelp to heating in order to raise the temperature of the skelp to that required for the forming operation.

One means of subjecting the skelp to a longer heating would be to lengthen the furnace. Another means of accomplishing a longer heating is to pass the skelp back and forth in the furnace so that the length of travel of the skelp in the furnace is increased. It is generally considered impractical and uneconomical to increase the length of the furnace because of the space required for the longer furnace and also because of the larger amount of heat which is necessary to heat a longer furnace. Therefore, several prior art devices have sought means for directing the skelp back and forth in the furnace to increase the travel within the furnace of shorter length. If the linear speed, at which the skelp is treated, is doubled it will be appreciated that the length of travel of the skelp in the furnace should be at least doubled in order to raise the temperature of the skelp to the same temperature as when the skelp is being treated at the slower speed. When the existing furnace has a receiving end and an exit end and is of a length properly to heat skelp moving at normal speeds, and the speed of travel of the skelp is to be doubled, the length of travel in the furnace should also be doubled. Therefore, the skelp should be admitted near the exit end of the furnace and be threaded back to the previously designated entrance end and then redirected toward the exit end. This means of operation has been employed in prior devices. In such circumstances, however, in which it is necessary to feed the skelp into the end of the furnace which previously was the exit end, means were provided to support the bulky and heavy reels and other feeding mechanism from which the skelp is drawn near the exit end but out of the way of the skelp withdrawing means and the butt welding and tube forming apparatus. However, because of the weight of the reels of skelp and the related feed mechanism, some special supporting means would be required if the feeding apparatus is located on the roof of the furnace.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a means whereby the skelp feeding reels and associated mechanism may be supported on theoor of the f means for supporting asecond reel 20 2,813,706 Patented f Nov. 19, 1957 ICC plant adjacent the entrance end of the furnace as it is arranged in the present single pass arrangement so that no special provision is required for supporting such apparatus on the roof of the furnace.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus whereby a skelp furnace of a given length may be used in the treatment of skelp in a tube forming process wherein the skelp may be passed through the furnace at normal speed or at double the normal speed or at triple the normal speed, and whereby provision can be readily made for treating the skelp at speeds intermediate the speeds mentioned.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus whereby existing skelp treating apparatus may be employed wtih only minor changes for the treatment of skelp at speeds of double or triple the normal speed of operation of such apparatus.

The invention comprises a skelp handling and heating apparatus which includes an elongated furnace. The furnace is provided with at least two openings formed therein through which skelp may pass. Means may be provided for feeding the skelp from one end of the furnace into the furnace and additional means may be provided for withdrawing the skelp from the other end of the furnace. The invention also contemplates that means will be provided in the furnace for receiving the skelp as it is directed in one direction and for redirecting it in the opposite direction, and means are also provided for receiving the skelp as it moves in the second mentioned direction, and redirecting it in the rst mentioned direction. In one form of the invention, the skelp is received in one end of the furnace and travels toward the other end and is received and redirected toward the said first end of the furnace and is received at said first end and redirected toward the other end so that the skelp travels the length of the furnace three times. In another form of the invention, the means for feeding the skelp from one end of the furnace guides the skelp on the outside of the furnace to a point near the other or second end of the furnace and an opening is provided in the roof, or other suitable area, of the furnace through which the skelp may enter to be directed toward the one end of the furnace where it is reecived and redirected toward the second end of the furnace so that the skelp passes the length of the furnace, on the inside, twice. For a more complete description of the invention, reference is made to the drawings wherein:

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view taken through a skelp heating furnace showing one form of skelp handling apparatus embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus with the roof of the furnace removed to show interior details;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the apparatus as viewed along the line 3-3 in Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a side view of arepresentative apparatus for supporting reels of skelp and feeding skelp to the furnace, which may be used with the apparatus of this invention;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional side View showing another form of apparatus embodying the invention; and

Fig. 6 is a foreshortened plan View, with the top of the furnace removed, of the form yof apparatus shown in Fig. 5.

Referring to Figs. l, 2 and 3, existing skelp handling and heating apparatus may include a furnace 10, having a roof 11, and a floor 12. The furnace also may have a receiving end 13 and a delivering end 15. In normal practice, the skelp is fed into the furnace through the opening 13 and passes through the furnace heating charnber 16 to the delivery end 1S. The skelp is fed from a reel 17 such as that shown in Fig. 4 which is rotatably supported in a stand 18. It is customary to provide a shown in broken' line in Fig. 4 as a standby so that when the skelp from the reel 17 has been used, the tail end of the skelp of the used reel may be welded to the front end of the strip in the standby reel. By this means a continuous strip of skelp may be fed 'through the furnace. Whenthe skelp is being treated at normal speeds, the strip moves at about 500 feet per minute so that a loop 21'is customarily provided to give the operators suicient time to weld the tail end of one strip to the front end of the next strip.

The apparatus of the present invention includes the addition of the following elements to existing apparatus in order to adapt it for operation wherein the skelp is moved at speeds in excess of .the normal speed. The forms of apparatus shown provide for the treatment of the skelp at double and triple the normal speeds. Figs. 1, 2 and 3 illustrate apparatus in which the skelp may be treated at double the normal speed. The apparatus includes an opening 22 formed in the roof of the furnace with an idler roller 23 disposed to guide the strip through the opening. Additional rollers 25 suitably supported by brackets 24 are provided on the roof 11 of the furnace, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 3, to guide the skelp from the feeding apparatus 18 to the opening 22 in the roof of the furnace. A roller 26 may be provided inside the furnace below the opening 22. The roller 26 may be a driven roller and also may be water cooled. As the strip of skelp moves through the opening 22, it passes around the roller 26 and is directed toward the end 13 of the furnace. The skelp may be supported by skid bars, or may be allowed to slide along the floor 12 of the furnace. As it reaches the end 13 of the furnace, the skelp passes over idler roller 2S and around a driven roller 30.

The strip is redirected through the furnace after passing over driven roller 30. It moves into the furnace through the opening 13 and toward the delivery end 15. In its travel through the furnace toward the delivery end 15, the strip may be supported by suitable means such as skid bars 31 and also by the driven roller 26. In the return pass of the skelp, i. e., toward the delivery end 15, the strip is offset slightly laterally, as shown in Fig. 2, to avoid Contact with the incoming strip.

vSuitable means for driving the `rollers 26 and 30 may be provided, such as the motors 32 and 33 with associated gear trains of well known types by which the rollers may be driven at the desired speeds of operation.

In the event'that the apparatus is to be operated at three times the normal speed for which the furnace is adapted, the apparatus shown in Figs. and 6 may be used. This apparatus includes a furnace 110 having a roof 111 and a iloor 112 with a receiving opening 113 and a delivery end 115. A strip of skelp 127 is received from a supply thereof through the opening 113 passing over idler roller 140 and passing along the lower part of the furnace to a driven roller 126 adjacent the delivery end 115 of the furnace. The strip passes around the driven roller 126 and is returned toward the end 113. It passes out through the opening in the end 113 and over an idler roller 128 and around driven roller 130. The strip is redirected into the furnace through the opening 113 and is delivered from the furnace through the opening 115. It may be supported in the last pass through the furnace by skid bars 131. Suitable power means such as motors 132 and 133 may be provided for driving the rollers 126 and 130.

The furnace and 110 in the two forms of the apparatus may be heated in any suitable manner such as by gas tiring through the openings 35 and 135 and may be provided with the usual recuperator and elbow 29 and 129, indicated respectively in Figs. 1 and 5. The forming operation to which the skelp is subjected after being delivered from the furnace forms no part of this invention and is, therefore, not described.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing description of the apparatus embodying this invention that it is possible, with the additions which have been described, to use a skelp furnace, which ordinarily .operates to carry a single pass of skelp through the furnace when the skelp is being treated at normal speeds, for the treatment of skelp at double or triple the normal speeds. The apparatus embodying the invention can be added to the one-pass furnace and feeding equipment in their normal positions without any substantial structural changes in said equipment. Furthermore the furnace may still be operated with the skelp moving therethrough at normal speeds; for example, referring to Fig. 1, the strip is received over the driven roller 30, through the opening 13, it is directed along the skid bars 31 and over driven roller 26 and is delivered, after the single pass, through the delivery end 15 of the furnace.

It will also be appreciated that the opening 22 and the driven roller 26 may be positioned at any point intermediate the ends 13 and 15, so that various inter mediate lengths of strip may be treated in the apparatus. Also more than one set of skid bars may be provided to support the skelp during its several passes through the furnace, if it is desired to maintain the skelp off the oor of the furnace. However, it has been found quite satisfactory to 'allow the strip to slide along the oor, at least during the Vinitial passes.

It will be appreciated that the objects of providing means whereby the skelp feeding reels and associated mechanism may be supported on the iloor adjacent the entrance end of the furnace so that no special provision is required for supporting such apparatus on the roof of the furnace; and of providing an apparatus whereby a skelp furnace of a given length may be used in the treatment of skelpin a tube forming process wherein the skelp may be moved through the furnace at a normal speed or at double the normal speed or at triple the normal speed; and whereby provision can be readily made for treating the skelp at speeds intermediate any of the speeds mentioned; and of providing an apparatus whereby existing skelp treating apparatus may be employed with only minor changes in the treatment of skelp at speeds of double or triple the normal speed of operation of such apparatus, are all achieved by the apparatus of this invention.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have herein described the principle of operation of the invention, together with the elements which I now consider the best embodiments thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the structure disclosed is only illustrative and the invention can be carried out by other means. Also, while it is designed to use the various features and elements in the combinations and relations described, some of these may be altered and modified vitlout interfering with the more general results out- Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A skelp furnace apparatus comprising an elongated furnace, at least two openings formed in the furnace through which skelp may pass, means for feeding skelp from one end of the furnace into the furnace, and means for withdrawing skelp from the other end of the furnace, means in the furnace for receiving the skelp and directing it to the rst mentioned end and means at the first mentioned end for receiving skelp and directing it to the other end of the furnace.

2. A skelp handling and heating apparatus comprising yan elongated furnace having openings formed in its two ends, and having a third opening formed intermediate its ends, means for supporting a strip of skelp drawn from a source beyond the furnace opening at one end, means for guiding the skelp into the furnace through the third opening, means for guiding the skelp in the furnace toward the opening in the one end, means adjacent the opening in the one end for receiving the skelp and directing it toward the opening in the other end andrneans adjacent the opening in the other end for directing it Vout of the furnace.

3. A skelp .handling and vheating .apparatus comprising an elongated furnace, having a roof, side walls and a oor, end walls having an opening formed in each, one end of the furnace being adjacent a supply of skelp and the other end being adjacent skelp welding means, a third opening formed in the furnace intermediate the end walls, means for guiding and supporting a strip of skelp on the outside of the furnace from the supply of skelp to the third opening, means for feeding the skelp into the furnace through the third opening, means in the furnace for guiding the skelp to the opening at the irst mentioned end of the furnace, means at the said rst end for receiving the skelp and directing it to the opening at the other end and means at the other end for guiding the skelp out of the opening in said other end.

4. A skelp furnace apparatus comprising an elongated furnace having a oor, side Walls, a roof and end walls, each end wall having an opening formed therein, the roof of the furnace having an opening formed therein intermediate the end walls, a supply of skelp adjacent one end wall of the furnace, roller supporting means mounted on the outside of the roof of the furnace for guiding 'and supporting skelp from the source thereof on the outside of the furnace to the intermediate opening, means for directing the skelp through the intermediate opening, means for directing the skelp to the opening in the rst mentioned end of the furnace, means at the rst mentioned end of the furnace for receiving the skelp and directing it to the other end of the furnace,

means at the other end of the furnace for receiving the References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,891,501 Candy Dec. 20, 1932 2,009,856 Otis et al. July 30, 1935 2,214,157 Bannister Sept. 10, 1940 2,224,410 Sendzimir Dec. 10, 1940 2,238,667 Wales Apr. 15, 1941 2,261,702 Tamele et al Nov. 4, 1941 2,294,611 Wagner et al. Sept. 1, 1942 2,306,750 Rendel Dec. 29, 1942 2,441,500 Miess May 11, 1948 2,576,902 Duby Nov. 27, 1951 

